Description

This entertaining Very Short Introduction reflects the enduring popularity of archaeology-a subject which appeals as a pastime, career, and academic discipline, encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. From deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain tops, from pebble tools to satellite photographs, from excavation to abstract theory, archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past.show more

Review quote

"Few introductory volumes on archaeology have covered the entire scope of the field in as lively and entertaining a fashion as this short book....It would be useful as a reader in introductory archaeology classes. Professional archaeologists should also enjoy reading this book....Interesting....Refreshing."--Charles C. Boyd, Radford University"Superb! Just the sort of fast-paced introduction one needs to help stoke the fires of one's students' curiosity."--John J. Shea, State University of New York at Stony Brook"A series of acute and entertaining short essays on the subject's great themes....It is often said that well-written books are rare in archaeology, but this is a model of good writing for a general audience....Packed with information but never get[s] bogged down in too much detail....Its serious message--that archaeology can be a rich and fascinating subject--it gets across with more panache that any other book I know."--Simon Denison, Editor, British Archaeolshow more

Table of contents

INTRODUCTION; 1. THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY; 2. MAKING A DATE; 3. TECHNOLOGY; 4. HOW DID PEOPLE LIVE? 5. HOW DID PEOPLE THINK? 6. SETTLEMENT AND SOCIETY; 7. HOW AND WHY DID THINGS CHANGE? 8. MINORITIES AND SORORITIES; 9. PRESENTING THE PAST TO THE PUBLIC; 10. THE FUTURE OF THE PAST; FURTHER READING; INDEXshow more